Tiruvalluvar University has issued an advertisement on its website calling for admission to postgraduate programmes in the institution. The Vellore-based university has called upon students to apply for PG programmes in 10 departments including Tamil, English, Economics, Zoology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biotechnology, Computer Science and Commerce.

According to the notification, students can apply with marks obtained in five semester. The last date to submit applications online is June 30. Due to COVID-19 lockdown, the State universities have not conducted the sixth semester exams.

The university faculty have pointed out that this is against norms. Every year, the Directorate of College Education (DCE) will release a circular on the date of issue of applications for college admission.

This applies to colleges and universities. For admission to undergraduate programmes the notification is issued after Class 12 results are published. Similarly, for PG programmes, the notification is released after the results of undergraduate programmes are released.

A DCE official on conditions of anonymity said the university’s notification was in violation of the norm.

“In the current situation, we are not sure when we would be able to reopen the colleges. We have no idea how the exams are even going to be held. Everything hinges on the direction from the government. It is not correct to issue a notification at this point of time,” he said.

Some former faculty have written to both the DCE and the higher education department.

Inquiry sought

A former Syndicate member has also written to the District Collector seeking inquiry into how the university had taken steps to reopen affiliated and constituent colleges as well as university departments when seven of the revenue districts in Vellore had been declared red zones by the State health department.

Higher Education Secretary Apoorva said, “We will look in to the matter.”